Wasteful Night
by Tasoku
Summary: Kain thinks about his worth and his feelings and brings down a certain Summoner with him. Kain/Rydia, one sided Kain/Rosa Cecil/Rydia. Please read and review :)


Sometimes Kain hated that he was still alive. If only he could have died honorably like the old man Tellah, he thought to himself. Even though the old man's death was because of revenge for his daughter's death, people still saw him as a great man. For Kain, he may have been one of the heroes who saved the world, but he was still considered as someone who was manipulated by Zemus and helped him steal the crystals. Living had made the memory of the betrayal all the more vivid.

It didn't help that he was still in love with his childhood friend Rosa. The more he saw his closest friends together, the more it disgusted him inside. He thought to himself that those feelings of jealousy was why he could be so easily manipulated, but he still couldn't help himself from feeling the anger. It was not at Cecil or Rosa though—the bitterness came from how pathetic that their love could affect him so much, and the guiltiness for letting it get to him. He wanted Rosa to be happy, but in the back of his mind he wished he could be the one to make her happy.

Anytime Kain was alone, he thought of all the things he should have done to make her happy. When she cried, he should have known and made her feel better. When she was happy, he should have been keeping up that happiness. While Cecil stayed close to Rosa during their childhood, Kain avoided them because of his constant training. He felt if he was someone impressive like his father, Rosa would be head over heels for him. But his ignorance to her own feelings became his downfall, and now Cecil had her heart in his hands.

However, lately he had noticed he was not the only one who felt this way. He noticed the forest-haired summoner who stares at Cecil with a pained look on her face, but she immediately hides it when the paladin looks her way. He thought it was his imagination that the girl yearned for him, but one day when he stared solemnly at the beloved couple, his eyes decided to dart away and land on the summoner, whose face also turned away from the couple and landed on him. The first time their eyes met, Kain was surprised and didn't expect it. She only looked away however and left.

One night he saw her sitting by herself in the courtyard and he couldn't help it. He confronted her.

"You have feelings for Cecil, don't you?" Rydia looked at him in surprise.

"That's a pretty abrupt question. I didn't realize we were that close for you to be asking me something like that." He crossed his arms.

"You're ignoring the question, so I'm assuming you do." She stood up.

"So what if I do? Is it wrong of me to have feelings?" She asked. He stared at her.

"You know damn right it's wrong. Cecil is with Rosa." Rydia laughed.

"You're talking to me like I'm a child. I'm well aware they're together." She walked closer to him. "Are you trying to annoy me? What makes you think you can talk like this to me?" This time her eyes seemed to glow a fiery hue as the moon also shined on it.

"I just wanted to ask you a question." She huffed.

"Well you did. Now scram. You ruined my night." She tried to push herself past him while walking away, however he stopped her with his arm when her shoulder hit his own.

"I have another question." She looked at him and he continued, "Why?"

Her eyebrows quirked up. "Huh?"

"Why do you have feelings for him?" Rydia's eyes widened slightly at his question, and she looked down with a sigh.

"I don't know, I guess because he's a great guy?" When she saw Kain's scrunched face at her words, she chuckled. "Cecil has always been there for me. I know he has a good heart. Even when I forgave you two for basically destroying my home village, he still felt really bad about it and wanted to make it up to me. He could have left me alone to fend for myself, but he wanted to protect me. I know Cecil's heart is pure and I think that's what attracts me to him." Rydia smiled. "If I need someone to rely on, I know he will offer his shoulder for me to lean on. He wouldn't be doing it out of guilt either. I know he would do it for anyone that needs help."

Silence filled the air after her response. She looked back at Kain. "Satisfied now?" He laughed bitterly.

"I guess I understand. He's basically a perfect angel to you. Makes sense." She quirked her eyebrows.

"Man, you're totally jealous of him." He looked at her.

"What?" She smirked.

"I got it. You wanted to know what I see in Cecil so you know what Rosa sees in him." When he grabbed onto her arm harder, she got her answer. Using her other hand, she placed it on his gripped hand.

"You need to stop comparing yourself to Cecil. You're good in your own way. Even if things changed in your favor, Rosa might not have been interested in you anyway unless Cecil never existed." He looked at her in shock.

"How did you…" She laughed.

"Because I feel the same emotions, idiot. I always tell myself I could have done something to get his attention, but there wasn't any. He met Rosa, and that pretty much screwed up my chances. I can't compare myself to her." She looked at herself, "I mean I constantly do compare myself to her but I know I shouldn't."

Kain blinked at her response, and soon a genuine laugh escaped from his lips. She pouted at him.

"What are you laughing for? I'm being honest with you!" He smiled.

"I know. Thank you." His grip on her loosened. She patted his hand now.

"Good good. I'm heading off to bed. You should too." As she tried to walk away, he stopped her again. She looked at him annoyingly.

"What now?" She asked. He looked down at her.

"Tell me what's good about me." Her eyes widened.

"Um, what." He sighed.

"I sound like an idiot, but I just want to know." She looked up at the moon this time.

"Hm…. I guess the fact that you're strong really helps. I can tell you've done a lot of training in your life to get to where you are, so that's a magnificent feat itself. But I know deep down you want to do the right thing too, which is why you always try to stick around Cecil in order to help him out. You try to hide your feelings, but you care a lot for your friends and your strength naturally comes from wanting to protect them. You might feel bitter for letting your emotions get to you but I think you just have very passionate feelings that are trying to come out because you try so hard to hide it." When silence filled the air again, Rydia looked back at the tall figure. She was surprised to see him looking away.

"What…the fuck," He breathed. She gasped at the swear and noticed his hand that was stopping her was trembling slightly.

"Um, Kain…?" He looked at her this time, a faint blush on his face.

"Are you always this good at reading people? You made me sound desirable." This time her face flustered.

"I don't think I'm THAT good… I just observe people, that's all. When people's focus aren't on me, I pay attention and listen to them, that's all." He nodded to her response.

"I see… Though, you are wrong about one thing. Edge seems to have his focus on you." He saw a twitch in the corner of her eye and he chuckled.

"Please, I don't count him as someone important to pay attention to." His eyebrows quirked up.

"But I'm important enough?" She smiled at him.

"You're just snippy for attention now, huh?" She continued, "Anyway, can I leave now?" He sighed.

"Yes, go. Sorry for keeping you." He took a step sideways to let her pass. She nodded, starting to walk away. When she was a few feet away from him however, she stopped and turned back.

"Hey!" He looked at her.

"Yes?"

"I'm expecting a prompt response on what makes me amazing, got it?" His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You need reassurance from me on how amazing you are? Sounds like you're good to me." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hell yeah I do. You wasted my night, I expect to waste yours tomorrow." She turned away this time and left for good. He watched as she left, smiling even bigger than before.

"That summoner… Fine. I'll focus my attention more on you then."


End file.
